Employers should update their policies and talk to employees about safe use
DENVER — Jan. 24, 2019 — With increasing numbers of dockless motorized scooters appearing in Colorado’s city centers, Pinnacol Assurance, the leading workers’ compensation carrier in the state, urges employers with urban operations to update their policies to take this new and readily available mode of transportation into account.
Pinnacol, which covers about 60 percent of the businesses in the state, notes that while they haven’t seen scooter-related claims to date, if an employee opts to use a motorized scooter for a work-related purpose and is injured, under certain circumstances a workers’ compensation claim could result. Pinnacol also notes that helmets are not always easily available to riders using these scooters, which increases employees’ risk of a severe injury.
“As more riders zip around our city centers amid pedestrian and vehicle traffic, it’s important that employers evaluate the use of these scooters as part of their risk management plan and make clear the circumstances of their appropriate use,” said Jim McMillen, Pinnacol’s director of safety services. “If employers have concerns about employees getting injured on scooters in the course of work-related duties, they need to update their policies and clearly communicate this guidance to their workforce.”
